Water Intake Question for Winterizing

CanadianBob · 10-01-2018, 11:56 AM

Hello All,

First post here (Noob Alert!!!).

I have a 2019 Rockwood 8327s model. This is going to be my first year winterizing a trailer - ever.

To the best of my ability, I have watched a lot of youtube videos to gain as much knowledge as I can.

However, there is always a difference b/w watching someone doing it and actually doing it yourself. Each trailer is different, so there is always that element of difference in application which can sometimes lead to uncertainty with how to proceed with certain steps.

Before I get to the step of feeding the anti-freeze through, (in not so many words) I need to drain the water, blow the lines, change the bypass on the hotwater tank to redirect the antrifreeze, etc.

With my trailer, I think I have the option to pull the antifreeze into the lines (see attached picture) but I am not entirely sure (I am not able to get a straight answer from my dealer).

Does anyone else have the same water intake setup as mine?

If so, am I correct in thinking that - once I switch the blue lever to winterize - I can push the button beside the water intake to pull the antifreeze from the hose that's connected to the water intake.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Bob

Reverse_snowbird · 10-01-2018, 11:59 AM

Can't see a picture.
However, if you've got a 'winterize' setting on your intake, use that.

CanadianBob · 10-01-2018, 01:03 PM

Sorry about that, I thought I had added them.

Just not sure what that white switch is on the side of the water intake. I assume once winterize is switched on, that switch works a pump, but not sure???

rockfordroo · 10-01-2018, 01:09 PM

Looks like it says "PUMP SWITCH" under the red switch and "LIGHT" under the white one.

CanadianBob · 10-01-2018, 01:27 PM

Good eye and thank you. The writing is not very legible when looking at it directly from view outside the trailer. However, taking pictures and then then zooming in on it makes a world of difference for old eyes like mine!

Red is for the black water flush (that I do know). Been using that all summer - works great!

That white switch is still a bit of a mystery. I once tried to switch it on but it wouldn't budge.

However, thus still don't know when or why I would use it.

**Iwritecode** · 10-01-2018, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanadianBob

Red is for the black water flush (that I do know). Been using that all summer - works great!

Are you sure about that? Most black tank flushes that I know of don't need any kind of switch. You just hook up a hose and turn on the water.

The red switch is likely for your water pump, which would need to be on to suck the antifreeze into your system.

It's similar to how mine works. I have a lever to switch from normal use to bypass, except I have a separate intake for the antifreeze to go into. I just hook up a hose and put the other end into a bucket full of antifreeze.

I'm guessing your black tank flush would work fine without flipping the switch. You've simply been running your pump at the same time all summer.

CanadianBob · 10-01-2018, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

I'm guessing your black tank flush would work fine without flipping the switch. You've simply been running your pump at the same time all summer.

Yikes! You are probably right. I just assumed I needed to.

I hate to throw anyone under the bus, but the truth is, I was never really given a full tutorial from my dealer; unfortunately.

When I would run the flush, I would switch it on and it would light up red. Hopefully I didn't ruin the pump?

I just assumed I needed to turn it on. I would run the flush for about 5 minutes at a time and then turn it off and move the hose back over to the intake. The black water tank sensors would indicate that the tank was empty.

That information was very valuable. thank you! Is there a way i can test if the pump is ok?

rockfordroo · 10-01-2018, 05:22 PM

If you have water in your fresh water tank, unhook all hoses (just to be sure you're not getting city water), turn on the pump, open a faucet and if you get water, you should be OK. Note that the pump will pressurize the system up to some pressure, say 40 psig, and then shut off. When you open a faucet, the pressure drops and starts the pump. Close the faucet, the pump pressurizes up to 40 psig and shuts off again. If you find your pump is cycling on and off when you're not using water, you either have a leak some where or the check valve in the pump is leaking backwards, allowing the pressure to bleed off back to the FW tank.

So what you've been doing should not have hurt the pump.

PS: Another sign that your pumps check valve is leaking: You're on city water and there's water coming out of your FW tank overflow. The leaky check valve has allowed city water to back flow into the FW tank, fill it, and start coming out of the overflow.

mickanddon2 · 10-02-2018, 03:02 PM

I have that same set up(but mine says Winterize/tankfill in the up position and city down) and you are so right about not getting any help at dealer, we went to general RV in Florida they came out and looked at it and still couldn't answer my questions. my concern was if I flip the blue handle to winterize wont that fill my tank. so I blew out the lines then did city position and did the hand pump from camping world to pump the pink stuff thru with low point drains open

**Iwritecode** · 10-02-2018, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickanddon2

I have that same set up(but mine says Winterize/tankfill in the up position and city down) and you are so right about not getting any help at dealer, we went to general RV in Florida they came out and looked at it and still couldn't answer my questions. my concern was if I flip the blue handle to winterize wont that fill my tank. so I blew out the lines then did city position and did the hand pump from camping world to pump the pink stuff thru with low point drains open

I can't say with 100% certainty but it shouldn't. You should have a separate fill spout somewhere for your fresh water tank.

From what I've always understood, the lever is essentially the bypass for your water heater so you're not pumping AF into it.

mickanddon2 · 10-02-2018, 03:51 PM

Its definitely our tank fill! Bob's may be different?

Scrapper · 10-02-2018, 04:35 PM

The tank fill/ winterize valve is just that. There is a second 3-way valve at the intake side of your water pump. Set it one direction and it fills the FW tank, turn it the other way and it diverts the AF to the water pump for winterizing.

I have a separate connection for my city water, a separate FW connection and a separate winterizing connection. I can fill my FW tank by connecting city water to the winterizing connection and turn the valve at the pump intake so the pump pulls from the FW tank. The FW tank will fill a little slower this way but I find it odd that I have 2 ways to fill the FW tank.

tdidad · 10-04-2018, 11:59 AM

I’m doing mine for the first time as well, great info from everyone, thank you!

Adrian Gordon · 10-06-2018, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickanddon2

Its definitely our tank fill! Bob's may be different?

Mine too. You put that switch to fill/winterize and hook water to it and the water is going to the fresh water tank. That's the only place that connection leads.

Adrian Gordon · 10-06-2018, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrapper

...I have a separate connection for my city water, a separate FW connection and a separate winterizing connection. I can fill my FW tank by connecting city water to the winterizing connection and turn the valve at the pump intake so the pump pulls from the FW tank. The FW tank will fill a little slower this way but I find it odd that I have 2 ways to fill the FW tank.

He doesn't have the same setup you have. He has only two connections. One is for the blackwater rinse and the other is for freshwater/winterize or city water. When he hooks a hose to the connection for fresh water/winterize or city water he has to use the blue switch on the panel to select either City Water or Freshwater/Winterize. He doesn't have the luxury of a separate winterize connection like you do. If he runs water through the fresh water/winterize it's either going into the fresh water tank (fresh water/winterize selected) or it's bypassing both the tank and the pump and going direct to the water lines (city water setting selected). I have the same panel and switches on my Leprechaun and I've opened up the interior access panel to my fresh water tank to see where it goes and what happens. Anything coming through that inlet when it's set to fresh water/winterize is going into the fresh water tank.

BTW, the white switch is a light (I guess to help you hook up in the dark) and the red switch turns the water pump on and off, for what reason I have no idea given that there is a water pump switch on the interior panel. As a side note, if the external water pump switch is on, you can't turn off the water pump from the interior switch.

rockfordroo · 10-07-2018, 09:09 AM

I fail to understand why "winterize" would send the water to your FW tank. I would expect "winterize" to align the hose connection with the suction of the pump to suck AF from the hose connection. If it's going to the FW tank, I'd expect it to say "FW FILL."

JohnD10 · 10-07-2018, 09:34 AM

If you are going to fill the plumbing with antifreeze then it really isn't necessary to blow the lines out with air.

In other words, it really is an unnecessary step if you are going to use antifreeze.

I've done it both ways for years (in Michigan and Colorado) and found that it is just as effective to let the antifreeze push the water out of the faucets (all of them including toilet and outside shower), then open the low point drains and drain until pink comes out to finish off the fill.

Or at bare minimum, just let all the water out of the low point drains and outside shower, then run the antifreeze in.

I know this will probably start some kind of war, but reality is that blowing out the lines with air is the way to go if you don't plan on putting antifreeze in the lines, or are traveling and run into freezing temps and you don't have any antifreeze handy.

Adrian Gordon · 10-08-2018, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

I fail to understand why "winterize" would send the water to your FW tank. I would expect "winterize" to align the hose connection with the suction of the pump to suck AF from the hose connection. If it's going to the FW tank, I'd expect it to say "FW FILL."

I completely agree with you, but with the panel the OP has it doesn't work that way. Mine is identical except that it is marked "Winterize/Fill" in one position and "City Water" in the other. Neither of us, as I understand his post, has a separate fresh water tank fill point. It appears that the expectation is that you will winterize by putting antifreeze in your freshwater tank and pumping it through the system.

It's just a really bad design and I'm guessing they know it is a bad design since you can't get anyone to actually tell you how they intend it to work.

llr · 10-08-2018, 07:18 AM

My panel is the same as the OP, I also have a valve on the inside behind the panel that need to be changed and is not labeled.

To answer some of your other questions. You can blow the lines out but don't need to. Bypass the water heater and drain it. I open the low point drains and all the faucets. If you have a water filter remove the canister and filter, drain the water and put the canister back. Close the faucets and low pointer drains then add the antifreeze.

CanadianBob · 10-09-2018, 01:27 PM

Hi All,

Just another update with the winterization that occurred this past weekend.

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for posting a response. I found every response valuable. Thanks again!

This weekend, after a few minor fails, I was successful in getting the pump to pull the antifreeze through my lines.

1) Flip the blue switch for winterize
2) Flip the by-pass switch on the pump (which is located inside the trailer) to redirect and pull from intake (see attached pic).
3) Flip the pump switch to run pump

As a side note, before I turned the pump on, I needed to empty the water filter canister first; which was a whole different adventure on its own. It requires a special tool to take it off - and - I forgot it at home.

I tried by hand which was a fruitless effort because its in such a confined space to get both hands in there, grasp it tightly and turn. Which I tried both ways to no avail.

Needless to say, I had to run home to get the tool - which is basically a plastic wrench with an oversized toothy hole.

(3 hours later...)

I have to say, the weird plastic wrench thing worked like a charm. The canister came off without a single drop of spilled water. Once emptied, I placed it back on; hand tightened it, then gave it an another tighten with the wrench.

So far so good...

Then I went outside to flip the switch above the black water flush intake to turn on the pump. It came on with a low but constant rumble noise; I can see it was starting to work immediately, pulling the antifreeze through the hose from the bottle. It kept going and going and I had to replace the jug with another full bottle (it was thirsty). I was worried that maybe it was leaking somewhere or going somewhere else so I turned it off and went inside to look at the pump and saw that the water filter canister was full and the floor was bone dry. I assumed that meant all was good so I went outside to flip on the pump again. It continued to pull more out of the new jug, but not much more cause it turned off on its own.

Since the outside shower hose was right above my water intake, I open the cold faucet on it first to give it a test; with a few air sputters it finally started flowing red. Then turned the cold off; turning the hot on. Same result, sputter then flowing red.

The pump came back on again.

So I just continued with the process of going to each faucet; air sputter then red.

Turn the pump off to change the jug with a full one, turn pump on and continued on...

The toilet gave a different response - but whatever, it flowed red eventually.

Once all the lines (including the low water drain point was flowing red), I turned the pump off.

I used a shopvac to push the water in the sink drains out of the traps before filling them up with anti freeze.

I think that covered it.

However, a special thanks to all of you - I would have been lost without your support.

Cheers,
Bob

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